Lesson 3 theoretical probability.notebook
April 20, 2016
4/20 Problem of the Day
Amanda used a standard deck of 52 cards and
selected a card at random. The results are in the
table below.
1. Based on her results, what is the experimental
probability of selecting a heart?
2. Based on her results, what is the experimental
probability of selecting a diamond or a spade?
Dale conducted a survey of the students in his classes
to observe the distribution of eye color. The table
shows the results of his survey.
3. Find the experimental probability distribution
for each eye color.
P(blue) = ___
P(brown) = ___
P(green) = ___
P(hazel) = ___
4. If the distribution of eye color in Dale's grade
is similar to the distribution in his classes, about
how many of the 360 students in his grade would
be expected to have brown eyes?
Apr 17­8:52 PM
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Lesson 3 theoretical probability.notebook
April 20, 2016
4/20 Lesson 3: Theoretical Probability
theoretical probability ­ tells you what
should happen in an experiment.
theoretical probability:
number of favorable outcomes
number of equally likely outcomes
In the last 5 minutes of the Gee Whiz Everyone
Wins! game show, all the members of the
audience are called to the stage. They each
choose a block at random from a bucket
containing an unknown number of red, yellow,
and blue blocks. Each block has the same size
and shape. Before choosing, each contestant
predicts the color of his or her block. If the
prediction is correct, the contestant wins. After
each selection, the block is put back into the
bucket.
1. Play the block­guessing game with your
class. Keep a record of the number of times
a color is chosen. Based on the data you
collect during the game, find the
experimental probabilities of choosing red,
choosing yellow, and choosing blue.
5th hour Results
Prediction
Actual
Mar 19­11:53 AM
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Lesson 3 theoretical probability.notebook
April 20, 2016
5th hour Results
2. After you look in the bucket, find the
fraction of the blocks that are red, the
fraction that are yellow, and the fraction
that are blue.
red
yellow
blue
3. How do the theoretical probabilities
compare to the experimental probabilities?
4. What is the sum of the theoretical
probabilities?
5. Does each block have an equally likely
chance of being chosen?
6. Does each color have an equally likely
chance of being chosen?
Mar 19­12:02 PM
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Lesson 3 theoretical probability.notebook
April 20, 2016
Exploring Probabilities
A bag contains two yellow marbles, four blue
marbles, and six red marbles. You choose a
marble from the bag at random.
1. What is probability the marble is yellow? The
probability it is blue? The probability it is red?
2. What is the sum of the probabilities from #1?
3. What color is the marble most likely to be?
4. What is the probability the marble is not blue?
5. What is the probability the marble is either red
or yellow?
6. What is the probability the marble is white?
7. Mary says the probability the marble is blue is
12 . Anne says 12 is impossible. Who is
4
4
correct? Explain.
Mar 19­12:07 PM
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Lesson 3 theoretical probability.notebook
April 20, 2016
A bag contains several marbles. Each marble
is either red, white, or blue. The probability of
choosing a red marble is 1 , and the
3
probability of choosing a white marble is 1 .
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1. What is the probability of choosing a blue
marble? Explain.
2. What is the least number of marbles that
can be in the bag? Explain. Suppose the
bag contains the least number of marbles.
how many of each color does the bag
contain?
3. Can the bag contain 48 marbles? If so,
how many of each color would it contain?
4. Suppose the bag contains 8 red marbles
and 4 white marbles. How many blue
marbles does it contain?
Mar 19­12:15 PM
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